In an effort to expand the portfolio of investment instruments that can be registered and settled in Central securities Depository Prague, the CSD Prague became a direct participant in the Short-Term Bond System (SKD) operated by the Czech National Bank as of 3 April 2023. “The connection of the CSD Prague to the SKD will enable participants and their local and foreign clients to jointly hold all domestic securities in one Central Depository, to use all standard functionalities of the settlement system such as hold/release or partial settlement and, last but not least, to settle in foreign currencies, especially in EUR. At the same time, keeping and settlement of treasury bills in the CSD Prague brings the possibility of accepting and trading them on the Prague Stock Exchange, which could be attractive for some members of the exchange and their clients, especially in the current period of high interest rates”, explains Ondřej Dusílek, CEO of the Central Securities Depository Prague.